VolsTeach: A 'new direction for teaching math and science'

Monday

Apr 29, 2013 at 7:56 PM

Former Oak Ridge High School teacher Peggy Bertrand was the guest speaker recently at the League of Women Voters' Lunch with the League meeting.Bertrand is currently a master teacher with the VolsTeach program at the University of Tennessee.

by Beverly Majors/Staff

Former Oak Ridge High School teacher Peggy Bertrand was the guest speaker recently at the League of Women Voters' Lunch with the League meeting.

Bertrand is currently a master teacher with the VolsTeach program at the University of Tennessee.

VolsTeach was her topic, specifically highlighting the need for math and science students.

VolsTeach is a program targeted for undergraduate math, science or engineering majors who are interested in expanding their professional skills and exploring a career in secondary teaching.

"We need a new direction for teaching math and science," Bertrand said.

"We changed the way we teach a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) teacher," Bertrand said. "VolsTeach comes from the other UT (University of Texas), but we've made it better."

Without any additional credit hours, VolsTeach students can graduate in four years with a degree in math, science or engineering, as well as obtaining licensure as highly qualified teachers in their respective content areas.

"The student has to get a degree in content and minor in education," Bertrand said.

The courses are streamlined, focused on science and math and open to all incoming freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.

Students, in the end, will have "deep content, an understanding of education theory in what they teach, and have best practice experience, field experience and understand an inquiry-based program," which Bertrand explained as "teaching by investigation, supported by evidence."

In Phase One of the course, VolsTeach students have opportunities to teach in K-12 classrooms.

"I admire elementary school teachers and what they have to do," Bertrand said. After Phase One, the student teacher then moves on to the middle school and later the high school.

Using the inquiry-based method, students use process skills such as "observe, experience, record, compare and evaluate," she said.

"What's not on the list is 'memorize,'" Bertrand said. "We're trying to get away from unnecessary memorization."

She also said they teach through a 5-E lesson plan: Engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate.

When students major in math with a minor in education, she said they get "one degree, but two career paths."

She said another advantage of VolsTeach is showing the student why teaching is a good career when many parents don't encourage teaching because of pay.